


A Midnight Rendezvous

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Spying, Suspected Infidelity, actually nothing of the sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 01:12:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4587345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snape has been slipping out of bed when he thinks Lupin is asleep and only returning near dawn. One night, Lupin decides to follow him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Midnight Rendezvous

**Author's Note:**

  * For [masterseverus](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=masterseverus).



> Written for Masterseverus for having written for snupin100's 400th challenge. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2013.

Snape panted and slowly slipped to Lupin's side. Lupin was equally exhausted, breathing heavily as he snuggled closer to Snape. The night was cool and felt delicious against their skin. Lupin wanted to stay like that forever, blissed out and safe. Eventually though he drifted off to sleep.

His dreams were full of the wolf, running, hunting, being free. No pain, just the wind in his fur and the taste of fresh rabbit on his tongue.

Dimly he felt the coolness as Snape left their bed and gently replaced the covers over Lupin's body. He wondered exactly who Snape thought he was fooling but pretended, as he always did, to be asleep.

* * * * *

Lupin made breakfast, plating out some sausages and scrambled eggs for himself and Snape. He was just enjoying his second cup of tea when Snape finally joined him. He looked exhausted, as if he'd hardly slept at all. Lupin knew perfectly well that that was the truth, but he wasn't about to let Snape know he knew his secret.

Well, that he knew a secret existed, anyway.

“Sleep well?” Lupin asked, making sure he wasn't directly looking at Snape as he talked. He'd never been good at keeping his real feelings in check from Snape.

“Yes,” Snape said. “Thank you.” He sat down to breakfast and began to eat.

Lupin ate his own breakfast in silence, running through all the scenarios in his head, trying to work out what he could say that would get Snape to confide in him. He didn’t think the secret was Snape cheating on him – he'd smell another person easily enough. So that meant that something else was in play. Was it the Death Eaters, again? Something to do with the Ministry? So many possibilities and all of them seemed as unlikely as the next.

“I will probably be late tonight,” Snape said, breaking into Lupin's thoughts. “I'm working on a new potion for the Ministry.”

“Of course. I'll probably go and visit Minerva; she invited me round for dinner this week, I'll see if she's free tonight.”

“Well, I must be going,” Snape said. He gave Lupin a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and then left.

Lupin sat staring off into the distance for several moments, before clearing away the breakfast things.

* * * * * *

Minerva poured Lupin another cup of tea and handed him a plate of biscuits.

“What's really on your mind?”

Lupin startled and almost dropped the biscuits onto the floor. “What do you mean?”

“ _Remus.”_

Lupin found himself crumpling under Minerva's severe expression. He could see why she'd been so formidable during the War.

“I'm worried about Severus.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow and patiently waited for him to continue.

“I'm worried he's getting himself into trouble.”

“I think Severus has more than proved his ability to look after himself, Remus.”

Lupin's lips twitched into an almost smile. “I suppose so.”

“But...”

“It's still very new. This. Us.”

Lupin put his cup of tea down on the table.

“There are still so many secrets...You know he's never told me exactly what he did during the War? Not even a quarter of the things Voldemort made him do. As if everything I've already imagined isn't far worse.”

“Have you tried asking him what he did?”

Lupin looked sheepishly down at his knees; his trousers were looking decidedly worse for wear, he'd need to work a few darning spells tonight.

Minerva sighed loudly and then took a bite out of a chocolate biscuit. Lupin daren't meet her eyes.

“Severus has always been very sensitive. Delicate even, though I dare say he'd hex anyone to kingdom come who even suggested it. He takes any slight to heart, as you well know. Any slight from others, and any that he has made himself. I dare say he is as worried about your disapproval of what he did, as he feels ashamed himself. You can't make a man like Severus share his secrets unless he wants to tell you. Or unless he is forced into it.”

Lupin looked up at her last words. He was sure there'd been an emphasis there that meant...

“You think I should spy on him?”

Minerva shrugged. “You could always wait till he tells you himself, but I rather expect Hades will have frozen over first.”

Lupin tried to smile, but his heart wasn't really in it. Could he do that to Snape – follow him, hide his movements? Wasn't that exactly what Snape was doing to make Lupin so miserable?

“Just think about it,” Minerva said. “Perhaps another solution will present itself before you have to act.”

“Perhaps,” Lupin said.

He took another sip of tea, but it had turned cold.

* * * * *

Sex had never been a problem between them, and even now, when Lupin was so mad at Snape that he could barely think straight the orgasm that wrecked his body was as divine as every other they'd shared. Snape was far more passionate, and experimental, than Lupin had given him credit for, before their quick shags at Grimmauld Place had turned into something more than two lost souls finding each other. So he was sure that Snape suspected nothing as they lay curled around each other, both pretending to sleep.

This time would prove different though. This time he was going to take matters into his own hands. By the rose bush at the front of the house he had already hidden a change of clothes and some supplies which he thought might come in handy. When Snape left, as Lupin was sure he would do, he would not be doing so alone.

Although Lupin allowed himself to drift into sleep a little, he was perfectly alert when Snape slipped from their shared bed and went into the bathroom to dress. Then he heard Snape slip outside – if he hadn’t had all his werewolf senses tuned to Snape's every movement he might have missed it.

As it was he was able to follow Snape out of their home, picking up his hidden bag on the way. He managed to keep Snape in sight at all times; Snape was taking a roundabout route but as if he were cautious and not because he actually thought that he was being followed. At least that’s what Lupin hoped, anyway. If necessary he would just have to put his werewolf senses up against Snape's experience and see which one came out on top.

Lupin was glad as well that Snape didn't summon a broom or Portkey away and that the wind was blowing in the right direction for him to track his lover without too much difficulty. They moved easily about their Muggle neighbourhood and then deeper into the city, before finally approaching a ramshackle house that looked like it was completely abandoned. Snape became more cautious as he approached the house, and Lupin was forced to hide inside a bush, branches catching at his face in a way he knew he would have to explain with some difficulty the next day.

And then, just like that, Snape was walking up to the house and disappearing inside.

Ten minutes Lupin waited to see what would happen. But when nothing did he approached the house. He'd come out this night for answers and he wasn't going back home without them. He noted that there was no cover for him to hide behind if Snape happened to be looking out of one of the many windows, all of which were bathed in darkness. Then he wondered just how mad Snape was going to be when he found out that he had been followed. Did Lupin really want to do this?

He took a hesitant step forward, and then another. Yes. He had to do this.

He entered the house into a surprisingly homely hallway. There were cloaks hanging from a coat hanger to his right, a large mirror which reflected back a more haggard face than he'd care to admit, and some paintings of Hogwarts. Sounds were coming from upstairs, as well as the room directly in front of him. Carefully, Lupin edged forward.

As he grew closer he could make out Snape's voice and that of another man he didn't recognise. The door wasn't fully closed and with a heavy heart Lupin peered around it.

The unknown man had his hand on Snape's arm, clasping it in a way which made Lupin's stomach lurch. He looked up to Snape's face though, and saw that he looked as unhappy about the situation as Lupin.

“There is no need for that,” Snape said, in the tone that meant he was only just keeping his true feelings in check. “Just see that you get your wife and children to Peru. They will be safe from the Ministry there.”

“Oh yes, of course, thank you Snape, thank you ever so much.” The man moved as if to kiss Snape on the cheek, but Snape quickly stood up and the chair went toppling behind him.

“There is no need, Stanislav. I am merely...”

Lupin wasn't sure if he had made a noise or moved, or if Snape's senses were just so much more heightened by his years of spying, but his voice trailed off as he found Lupin staring through the crack of the door. Lupin knew there was no point in hiding now.

“Hello, Severus.”

_“Remus.”_

Lupin shivered. It had been a long time since he had had that icy tone directed at him.

Stanislav looked slyly between the two men. “I, I go now.”

Snape nodded and Stanislav slipped through the door as Lupin moved out of his way.

Snape and Lupin stood staring at each other for a long moment. Lupin had no idea what to say and Snape was clearly not going to make things any easier for him.

“I should never have followed you,” Lupin said at last. “I should have trusted you.”

Snape sighed and picked up his fallen chair. “I am a hard man to trust.”

He sounded so resigned that Lupin had to move closer to him, had to put a hand on his arm, had to make him turn around.

“I should have tried harder.”

Snape turned his body closer towards Lupin. “I should have trusted you.” He looked off into the distance. “Trust has never come easily to me.”

“Your helping these people flee the country?” Lupin asked quietly.

Snape nodded. “They were followers of Voldemort. Of a sort. They deserve a second chance. A safe haven.” He rested his head against Lupin's cheek. “As I have.”

“They're not the first people you've helped this way, are they?”

“No,” Severus said, “there have been a lot more.”

"Maybe I could help?" Lupin suggested.

Snape blinked, surprised and then he smiled. "I would like that."

Lupin closed his eyes and pulled Snape closer. “Let's go home.”

“Yes,” Snape agreed. “Home.”


End file.
